Contents
How to Use This Guide
Insect Models for Biomedical Research [pdf]
Laboratory Care / Research |
Biocontrol | Toxicology
World Wide Web Resources
How
to Use This Guide*
Insects
offer an incredible advantage for many different fields of research. They are
relatively easy to rear and maintain. Their short life spans also allow for
reduced times to complete comprehensive experimental studies. The introductory
chapter in this publication highlights some extraordinary biomedical applications.
Since insects are so ubiquitous in modeling various complex systems such as
nervous, reproduction, digestive, and respiratory, they are the obvious choice
for alternative research strategies. Their opportunities lie vastly unexplored.
Insects’
biological processes are temperature dependant and they have allowed us to view
biochemical pathways and intermediate steps in ways that would be impossible
with other warm blooded animal models. They are an economical alternative to
vertebrate models and less labor intensive than more traditional laboratory
animals. From a societal standpoint, invertebrates may be more acceptable for
research than vertebrates. Many scientists, either by law or policy, are required
to consider ways to reduce the number of animals proposed for an experiment,
refine their techniques to minimize pain and distress, and replace with a non-animal
model or a phylogenetically lower species. Since research has not yet shown
invertebrate cognition of what would be considered pain in mammals and birds,
their use is also a refinement alternative.
This
guide, Information Resources on the Care and Use of Insects, provides
a snapshot of how insects are being used in research and industry. The citations
included also review how they are utilized, cultured, reared, and housed in
the laboratory and elsewhere. References extracted scan the publication years
2004 to approximately 1968 and resulted from searching numerous scientific and
technical databases. The call number is included for materials in the National
Agricultural Library’s (NAL) collection.
Information on how to obtain copies of articles mentioned in the
bibliography are available from the National Agricultural Library's
Document Delivery Services Branch at
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ddsb/.
The
websites and organizations at the end of some sections are current through August
2004. They were found by running general searches on the World Wide Web. As
sites can become outdated or relocated and new sites emerge, a general search
on one of the commercial search engines should help locate address changes or
new sites if the addresses included no longer function.
* Information included in this portion of this publication and other web-resources
sections were adapted from Information Resources for the Care and Use of
Invertebrates (published previously in AWIC by Michael D. Kreger, Ph.D.)
and included with his permission.
The author gratefully acknowledges the staff members of the Animal Welfare
Information Center (AWIC): Barbara Buchanan for her assistance in review of
the printed version and preparation of the web publication, D’Anna Jensen
for help with the creation of the index, and Jean Larson for editing and overall
guidance/ support.
The Animal Welfare Information Center,
awic@nal.usda.gov
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Labinsects/labinsects.htm
August 4, 2004
